Life's Greatest Irony
by redheadsaremorefun
Summary: The one night he needed her, she was with someone else. How much difference can one night make? Pairings: Alex/Izzie Lexzie , Mark/Izzie McStizzie . Post season four finale.
1. Chapter 1

Life's Greatest Irony

**Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters.**

_This story takes place after the season four finale. _

**Alex's POV**

Alex Karev was generally very self-dependent. He didn't need other people, didn't need someone to talk to, and didn't need a "person." But that day he did. It was his first day back at work after Rebecca wound up in the psych ward. At Dr. Bailey's request, the Chief had given Alex two days off to recover from the shock and grief, and now he was back. As much as he wanted to work, to keep himself busy, he kept getting distracted by thoughts of what happened that day. Alex needed someone and for the first time in his life, he wasn't afraid to admit it. He needed Izzie, he thought as he headed home.

**Izzie's POV**

Izzie Stevens had been having a whole string of bad days. Bad days that had managed to divert her attention from what today was. The anniversary of Denny's death. She had thought that she was over losing him, but today brought him all back. And no one but she showed any sign of remembering. She had hoped that Dr. Bailey or Meredith would, but they didn't. At least she knew that Dr. Burke would remember, even though he was no longer at Seattle Grace. She needs Alex, but she can't find him. He must have gotten a really food surgery, she thinks. She goes to the on-call room, hoping to get an hour of rest before scrubbing in with Dr. Bailey on a patient with bleeding ulcers. She sits on the bed and immediately starts to cry. After a minute or so, she hears the door open.

Mark: "Damn. I was hoping for some me-time. But I'll settle for some you-and-me time if you know what I mean. Mark notices that Izzie's crying. What's wrong, Stevens?"

Izzie: "Nothing."

Mark: "No. That's not 'nothing'. That's something."

Izzie: "I'm sure that you've heard about how I cut a patient's L-VAD wire…"

Mark: "Your fiancé, right?"

Izzie: "Yeah. He proposed after I cut the wire. It's the anniversary of his death. And I really need Alex, but I can't find him…"

Mark: Sits down next to her and tilts her face so that she's facing him and he strokes her cheekbones. "I can give you what you need. I can be your release."

Mark and Izzie kiss and he lifts up her shirt when her pager goes off.

Izzie: "Shit. 911 for my patient with bleeding ulcers. But let's finish what we started tonight at my house after my shift. I'll meet you here at 8:00."

Mark: "Sounds good to me." Gives her the classic McSteamy "You're gonna have sex with me" look.


	2. Chapter 2

Life's Greatest Irony Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy**

**Alex's POV**

Alex walked into the house. It was 8:20. Too early for him to go to sleep, but there was really nothing else that he wanted to besides sleep or talk to Izzie. But he didn't know if she was home yet or if she was still at the hospital. On his way upstairs he heard noises that sounded like giggles coming from Izzie's room. She was probably on the phone with Addison, he thought. When he heard the giggling die down, he figured she'd hung up the phone, so he let himself into her room, and…

**Izzie's POV**

Mark was, in fact, a man of his word. Or at least a man of his word when he knew he was going to get some. They met at 8:00 and walked out together to Mark's car. Izzie was pleased to note when she walked into the house that no one appeared to be home. She knew that Meredith and Derek were in surgery and planned to sleep at his trailer tonight, but she hadn't been sure if Alex would be here. She was glad that all signs pointed to no. She didn't want him to know what she was doing.

Izzie led Mark up to her bedroom and they began to make out.

Mark: "I hardly ever ask this—actually, I never ask this—but are you sure you want to do this?"

Izzie: "Of course I want to."

And she did, sort of. She didn't exactly want to have sex with him. But she did want to forget about Alex and Denny, which she knew would happen. Mark begins to take off Izzie's shirt and bra as she lifts off his shirt. He pulls down her pants, then his own and the collapse onto the bed as Izzie giggles with pleasure. She thinks that she hears someone walking up the steps, but ignores it until all of a sudden, the door opens, and…


	3. Chapter 3

Life's Greatest Irony Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy**

**Alex's POV**

Izzie. On the bed. With Mark Sloan. Mark freaking Sloan was in Izzie's bed in a very compromising position. Alex was filled with rage at the very sight. He watched, eyes slit with disdain, as she and Mark got off the bed, pulling blankets around themselves. He heard Mark mumble something in the background, but all he could focus on was Izzie. Izzie who was standing next to her bed, looking at him with a mix of pity and apology on her face. He wanted to yell, to scream at her, but for once he had no words. After what felt like hours of stillness and silence, Alex walked out of her bedroom "Wait! Alex! Come on, let's talk about this," he heard her call. But it was too late. He had already left the house. There was only one place for him to go.

**Izzie's POV**

Alex. Right there, standing in the doorway, watching her and Mark. She tapped Mark on the shoulder, her vocal chords frozen, and pointed to Alex. Mark jumped off of Izzie and they both got off the bed, gathering sheets and blankets to pull around their bodies even though Alex had already seen them. Mark was standing on one side of Izzie's bed mumbling something or other, but the only thing Izzie could do was stand and stare at Alex. Alex, who looked so sad, lost, hurt, and angry. She wanted to say or do something, anything to make him stop looking at her like that, but she was paralyzed. After what seemed like forever, Alex turned around and walked out of her room.

Izzie: "Wait! Alex! Come on, let's talk about this!"

But the door had already slammed.

_Author's Notes: _

_Thank you for the reviews! Keep 'em coming! I really appreciate them._

_I leave for London tomorrow and won't be back for 10 days, so I probably won't post for awhile, sadly. I will, however, use the long plane ride to handwrite some more chapters. I promise to post as soon as possible._

_I know that euph0rik had been looking forward to a confrontation between Izzie and Alex. When I first wrote the plan for the story, so was I. But then yesterday I watched the episode where George realizes that he slept with Izzie and pulls her into the supply closet where they stand there in silence. To me, the silence was so powerful that I wanted to incorporate it into Alex/Izzie in this fic. I also thought that it'd be interesting for brutally honest Alex to be at a loss for words. I hope this was just as pleasing as a confrontation would have been. It certainly was awkward!_


	4. Chapter 4

Life's Greatest Irony Part 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy**

**Alex's POV**

As he drove to Joe's where he would hopefully find comfort in the form of alcohol, Alex felt angry and betrayed. How could Izzie sleep with Mark? It wasn't like Izzie and Alex were together or anything, but he still could not comprehend how she could do that to him. Why she would do something that would hurt him. He loved Izzie so much, he thought. And then he saw the yellow lights.

**Izzie's POV**

Izzie stood motionless, staring at the door that Alex had slammed, hoping that if she wished hard enough, he would come walking through. He could start a full-on confrontation for all she cared, but the continuing silence was horrible.

Mark: "Izzie, come on. Come back to bed."

Izzie: "I can't believe that after what just happened, you're still only out to get some."

Mark: "Well, I'd love to continue… But, Izzie, you're physically shaking. Staring at the door, wishing for him to walk back in, isn't healthy."

Izzie: "How did you know that's what I was doing?"

Mark: "Because it's the same thing I did after Addison left." Izzie and Mark locked eyes and it was at that moment that she realized the connection that she had with Mark. "Izzie, it's not going to make him come home any sooner."

Izzie sighed and walk back to her room, as Mark's pager went off, signaling some emergency back at Seattle Grace.

**Mark's POV**

Damn. Alex had completely ruined his chances to finish what he started with Izzie for that night. Situations like this weren't exactly something that Mark was adept at dealing with. And this particular scenario reminded him a bit too much of when Addison walked in on him when he was with another woman.

He had finally gotten Izzie to stop staring at the damn door. As he watched her go back to her room, his pager went off. 911 from Dr. Bailey…

**Dr. Bailey's POV**

After four long surgeries, Bailey was finally going to go home. Or so she thought. Her pager went off, telling her to report to the pit. But she wasn't prepared for what awaited her.

Paramedic: "26 year old male, victim of and MVC. He has multiple burns and probable internal bleeding."

Alex: "Dr. Bailey..."

Bailey: "Don't try to talk, Alex. Okay, we need a trauma room and a trauma team! Who's on call tonight? Cristina. Page Dr. Yang and Dr. Sloan. Stat!"


End file.
